Shoe-lace fastener.



No. 70|,l99. Patented May 27, |902.

L. H. HANCOCK. SHOE LACE-FASTENER. (Applicaeiun med Nov. 0.'19o1.\

(No Model.)

w P nu. 0 a s 0 vl ../Ill R L N m T M a n PVC A N l luke# "UNTTEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUKE H. HANCOCK, OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,199, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed November 30,1901. Serial No. 84,185. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LUKE H. HANCOCK, of Fargo, in the county of Cass and yState of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to an improvement in lace or string fasteners for shoes and other articles, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device for securely holding or clamping the loose ends of a lacing or string to the upper part of a shoe or other article, thus obviating the necessity and inconvenience of tying the lacing or strings, and also preventing loosening of the lacing or string, which is a common source of annoyance in articles fastened by lacings or strings.

To this end my invention consists of the peculiar construction, arrangement, and cornbination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, and shown in the drawings `hereunto annexed and forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the device attached to upper portion of a shoe-upper. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view of the coiled spring and platespring removed from the tube or cylinder. Fig. et is a central vertical section of a modication. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modiiication.

To the upper portion of a lace shoe or other article at any suitable location Where a lacing or string is used a small plate lis secured by any suitable means, said plate being preferably about three-fourths of an inch square.v

To this plate is secured in any suitable manner a small tube or cylinder 2 about one-half inch in length, having both ends open, as shown. Near the upper portion of this tube or cylinder in its front face is cut a transverse slot or opening 3.

To the plate l at a point slightly below the lower open end of the tube orcylinder 2 is secured the lower end of plate-spring 4, said spring being bent away from the plate l at a point slightly above its point of attachment to said plate l. The plate-spring then extends upwardly in a diagonal direction through the tube or cylinder and the upper portion 5 thereof, which may be slightly broader than the main portion, is bent forwardly, downextension (5 is then carried to one side a suf-n cient distance to project through the slot or opening 3, when it is given a return bend and forms the arm 6J in close relation to the part 6 and grips the plate-spring 4t between it and the extension 6lv and the spirals 6. The purpose of the coil-spring 6 and the gripping eX- tensions 6' and 62 is to pull the upper bentover portion 5 of the plate-spring, with its teeth 5', toward and against the front face of the tube or cylinder 2 adjacent to its upper edge.

The tendency of plate-spring 4t is to spring outwardly and carry the teeth or prongs away from the front face of the tube or cylinder; but, as we have seen, this tendency is opposed and overcome by the contractile coil-spring 6 and the extensions 6 and 62 and the teeth, as stated, drawn against the front face of the tube or cylinder adjacent to the upper edge of the same. I

The portions 6' and t2 of the spring lie closely together', and, as stated, hold the plate- 4spring 5 tightly between them, and the eX- tension 62 rests in the slot or opening 3 and extends slightly beyond the side Walls of the same, forming a finger-piece for the operation of the device.

While the plate l, which is shown, forms a `iirrn base for the attachment of the tube or cylinder 2, yet it is not absolutely essential, as it may be dispensed with and the tube or cylinder attached directly to the shoe-upper or other article and the lowerl end of plate spring could then be secured to the shoe-upper or other article, as shown in-Fig. 5; but it would preferably, in a construction where the plate l is absent, be secured tothe inner face of the tube or cylinder at or near its lower edge.

The fastener may be applied to shoes, gloves,

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corsets, leggings, or any other articles where lacings or strings are used.

While I have shown and described 2 as a tube or cylinder, it is obvious that a tubular body of any suitable shape-such as square, semicylindrical, elliptical, (itc. might be used.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the shoe or other article has been laced to ,near the top, the thumb of one hand is placed on the side of the tube or cylinder 2, contiguous to the bend of the spring-Wire, and the forefinger of the saine hand is placed on the end of portion 62 and pressed downwardly and outwardly, thus pulling the plate-spring forwardly, and consequently carrying the teeth 5 away from the face of the tube'or cylinder 2. The end ofthe lace or string is then passed upwardly into the lower end of the tube or cylinder, through lthe same, and over the upper edge and under the teeth 5. rlhe end of extension 62 is then released, when coiled portion 6 pulls the plate-spring 4t rearwardly and draws the teeth 5' against the lace or string, gripping the same and eifectually preventing said lace or string from being accidentally drawn back again. At the same time 62 is pulled back into the slot or opening 3. To release the lace or string, the end 62 is pressed downwardly and forwardly, as before, throwing the teeth 5 away from the lacing or string, when it can readily be withdrawn from the tube or cylinder. y

The extensions 6' and 62 may be omitted and simplyacoiled contractile spring 63 used, fastened at one end to the inside of the tube or cylinder and at the other to the plate-spring 4, as shown in Fig. 4.

Where a single lace or string is used, one of the fasteners only is necessary; but where a double lace or string is used a fastener may be attached to each side of the opening to be laced or closed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1'. A fastening for lacing-strings coinpris` ing a tubular body having open ends and adapted to be secured to a shoe or other article, a plate-spring secured at its lower end and extending upwardly through the tubular body and over the upper end of the same, teeth or prongs at the upper end ofthe platespring adjacent to the upper edge of the tubular body, and a spring adapted to move the teeth or prongs of the plate-spring toward the outer face of the tubular body.

2. A fastening for laces or strings consisting of an open-ended tubular body, having a transverse slot or opening in its front face and adapted to be secured to a shoe-upper or other article, a plate-spring secured at itslower end extending upwardly through said tubular body and having a bent-over upper end, teeth or prongs at the end of said bentover portion, a contractile coiled spring secured at one end to the inner face of thetubular body, said coiled spring provided with anv extension clasping the plate-spring and extending transversely across the front face of the tubular body within the slot in the same.

3. A fastening for laces or strings consisting of a base-plate adapted to be secured toa shoe-upper or other article, an open-ended tubular body secured to said base-plate and having a transverse slot in its front face, a plate-spring secured at its lower end to the base-plate and extending upwardly through the tubular body and bent at its upper end, teeth or prongs at the-end of said bent portion adjacent to the upper end of said tubular body, a wire spring secured at one end to the inner face of the tubular body having contractile coils extending across the tube, a straight portion bent transversely from the coiled portion, through the slot in the tubular body, a bend vand a second straight transverse portion extending in an opposite direction from the first straight portion which with the said first straight portion forms a clasp for the plate-spring and forms a finger-piece for operating the device, substantially as shown and described.

4. A fastener for laces or strings consisting of an open-ended tubular body adapted to be secured to a shoeupper or other article, a

transverse slot in the front face of the tubular body, a plate-spring secured at its lower end, said spring extending upwardly through the tubular body and having a turned-over upper portion provided with teeth or prongs at its end, a wire spring secured at one end to the inner face of the tubular body, contractile coils formed therein, said wire spring having straight transverse oppositely-extending arms adapted to grip the plate-springbetween them, and lying in said transverse slot, substantially as shown and described.

5. A fastener for laces and strings consisting of an open-ended tubular body adapted to be secured to ashoe-upper or other article, a plate-spring secured at the lower end, and having the upper end bent over and provided with teeth or prongs adapted to bear against the front face of the tubular body adjacent to its upper edge and means for moving said teeth against the upper portion of the tubular body adjacent to the edge thereof.

LUKE H. HANCOCK.

Witnesses.:

ARTHUR. B. LEE, FANNIE M. DAvIEs.

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